Last week, an eight-year-old was fatally shot in a road rage incident. Sidney Garrand, 48, has been arrested and charged with her murder.
According to documents filed in court, at about 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 27, witnesses phoned 911 to report two males fighting in the roadway at the intersection of 16th Street and Greenway Parkway. Upon their arrival, they found that two males had gotten into a severe altercation.
The father of the girls claims the trouble began as he approached a local four-way stop after picking up his children from school. He claims that Garrand grew angry with him as he turned left in front of him to head south on 16th Street. Following the guy and his family—wife and three daughters—into the desert, Garrand apparently circled back and followed them in his Jeep. The girl’s father claims Garrand waved at him once but he disregarded it.
According to the guy and several eyewitnesses, Garrand followed closely behind him as he stopped at a red light at the Greenway crossing. The dad rolled down the window and observed Garrand exit his Jeep and approach the vehicle. Once the window was open, Garrand allegedly struck the guy.
The father, fearing for the safety of his family, allegedly exited the vehicle, drew a folding knife, and “began swinging” at Garrand, according to the documents. Officers were also informed by witnesses that Garrand had his hands around the father’s neck. The suspect, according to the police, stabbed Garrand in the neck. After Garrand took a revolver from the Jeep’s passenger side, the father allegedly got back in his vehicle and drove away.
After thereafter, the family in the vehicle heard gunshots, and according to one eyewitness, Garrand fired five or six times. When the mother of the three daughters saw that 8-year-old Cassidy Moreno, who was sitting in the middle seat, was bleeding, according to the court documents, she immediately turned around. When she dialed 911, Cassidy was quickly taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition. She passed away on Saturday night.
Thali Vargas, aunt of 8-year-old Cassidy Moreno, stated, “I believe for us it’s simply a question of letting people know that she wasn’t just the 8-year-old victim.” She belonged to someone as a daughter, sister, or niece. The worst part for me is that things didn’t need to become that bad on either side. She elaborated by noting that the fact that the victim was an innocent youngster who normally wouldn’t be in such a precarious circumstance just made things worse.
Both Garrand and the dad ended up in the hospital. While the girl’s father sustained serious cuts to his fingers, Garrand was intubated and treated for several stab wounds to the neck, right shoulder, and upper chest region.
A final resolution like this shouldn’t be necessary for anybody. Vargas argued that the man’s incarceration was unnecessary because of the little inconvience he caused on the road. Did you reach your destination? Was your goal achieved? You may donate to the Cassidy family’s funeral fund on their GoFundMe page here.
Garrand was treated and discharged from the hospital on Monday before being booked into the Maricopa County prison for the murder of a Tucson police officer. Garrand, after being arrested on Monday night, refused to cooperate with police and instead asserted his right to a counsel.
The girl’s father claims in court documents that Garrand peered back into the vehicle and saw the kids before the argument broke out. He is accused of murder as well as many counts of assault.